Zoo Atlanta is welcoming its newest member this Christmas season after their first-ever baby white rhino was born the day before Christmas. Zookeepers and fans of the popular zoo are rejoicing at the birth of one of the “near threatened” species of rhino as it shows great success for the zoo’s breeding program and the health, both physically and mentally, of the animals within its enclosures.
President and CEO of the zoo, Raymond King, had a few words to say in the press release that Zoo Atlanta posted to share the awesome news with the community. The Christmas Day post shared the awesome story of the birth of the baby rhino to mother Kiazi and father Mumbles, a pair specially selected to breed in the zoo.
Raymond King said, “The Zoo Atlanta family is beyond excited about the birth of Kiazi’s calf. This birth has been long-awaited news for many months. We have had many exciting developments in our rhino population over the past year.” While the new animal is surely a positive sign for the popularity and profitability of the zoo, King is focused more on the success that it means for conservation methods for the white rhino.
King continued, “If there is a special connection that our Members and guests can make with Kiazi and her calf, this is a connection that can translate to conservation action. All rhino species are currently in peril, and as stewards of this brand-new ambassador here in Atlanta, we also have a responsibility to do all we can to raise awareness of the status of wild rhinos.”
Like so many other animals with horns in the African Continent, Rhinos are treated frequently by poachers who seek to sell the corpse on the black market. In some cultures, the horn of a rhinoceros is said to have mystical healing properties when ingested in a powdered form, so there is constant demand for the animals in the poaching community.
Zoo Atlanta explains that the white rhinoceros is in particular peril from poachers due to the social structure of the massive animal. Since white rhinos move in herds, unlike some other species of rhino, they are an easier target to track and a more efficient target to hunt for the poaching groups that plague Africa’s beautiful wildlife.
The calf is said to be “healthy and strong,” a good sign for guests who someday hope to be able to see the baby once it and mother Kaizi are reintroduced to the habitat. According to Zoo Atlanta, bonding is going along swimmingly between Mother and calf, which is important in the development of young rhinos.
More updates are sure to come about the new bay white rhino that is showing signs of success in the world’s battle to help the near-threatened white rhino population. There is still a long way to go to return the animals to a pre-poaching population, but zoos like Zoo Atlanta are putting us on the right track to bring that magnificent animal back to its former glory.
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